Beyond Beer

On the precipice of its first national chain retail placement, Waste arrives as the world’s first canned cocktail made from upcycled ingredients.

Even for an industry born out of risk and uncertainty, hemp beverages are now officially in uncharted waters. As part of the funding bill to reopen the government signed into law last night by President Donald Trump, hemp-derived products will be required to contain less than 0.4 mg THC per container, as of November 13, 2026. Swept away like a storm in the night, the multi-billion-dollar, hemp-derived THC industry is waking up this morning to the stark reality that, barring the creation of a legal federal framework, they will be virtually extinct within a year.

In this episode of the Brewbound Podcast, Mark Anthony Brands president David Barnett details how the bev-alc company is “doing better than most” in today’s challenged marketplace. He spoke about the company’s highlights with Brewbound editor Justin Kendall, in a conversation recorded at the National Beer Wholesalers Association’s (NBWA’s) Annual Convention in Las Vegas.

The Senate advanced a spending package Monday that includes language that would effectively ban all hemp products. The package now moves to the House, which could pass it through to President Trump as early as today. Industry members for and against the ban have been vocalizing their stance online and in D.C. Below are some of the latest updates.

New Mix, an El Jimador Tequila-based cocktail launched in 1997, has been testing retail shelves across U.S. markets this year, with a wider rollout announced today.

Halloween is officially logged in bev-alc scan data and there’s no reason to be afraid, Circana EVP of BevAl Scott Scanlon wrote. During the week ending November 2, total beverage-alcohol dollar sales declined 2.3% year-over-year (YoY), but increased 4% week-over-week (WoW).

Intoxicating hemp beverages could be sacrificed in a deal to reopen the federal government. As political factions in Washington, D.C., spar over how to end the longest-ever federal government shutdown in U.S. history, legislators – led by Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD) – are attempting to use the situation to shape the future of hemp and intoxicating THC products and restrict the market created by the 2018 Farm Bill.

Bev-alc industry members have been more vocal than ever this week about their stances on intoxicating hemp beverages, and the Beer Institute (BI) was no exception at the trade group’s annual Membership Meeting held Wednesday in Washington, D.C. BI president and CEO Brian Crawford dedicated the majority of his remarks to intoxicating hemp, and the BI’s desire for regulation.

A coalition of 54 beer, wine and spirits distributors are asking U.S. House and Senate leaders to regulate and tax intoxicating hemp products similar to alcoholic beverages, according to a letter sent Wednesday.

Consumers are increasingly concerned about “managing health and wellness” and it is “drastically” changing beverage trends across bev-alc and non-alc (NA), according to a new report from Circana and the market research firm’s EVP of BevAl Scott Scanlon.

High Rise Beverage co-founder Matt Skinner has built a coastal-themed brand in the Southeast but his ambitions extend across the nation.

The Beer Institute (BI), along with other bev-alc trade associations, has joined the call from Congressional members and attorneys general to ban the sale of intoxicating hemp-derived products.

Ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails are now a regular part of drinkers’ routines, with consumption frequency picking up and stealing the most share from beer, especially in the summer.

After eight months in market, available through direct-to-consumer (DTC) shipping and at live music venues, JuneShine is ready to bring Willie’s Remedy+ and its lineup of THC-infused beverages to retailers.